[D10, LE, common room] Consolation prize

[Kuni Mitsuko]

The Crab shifts on her cushion, scooting her knees just up against the side of the Suzume's leg. "Ain't got to feel guilty 'round here," she whispers in her faux-Sparrow accent. "An' your station is purdy high now, Rin-chan. A hair's breadth from being the brightest new star in the Empire? Reckon you kin ask for an awful lot," she says, almost demurely. Mitsuko's tone and look have stayed deferential, inviting Rin to talk more for now.

"Oh gosh, you know Sparrow Mitsuko makes me feel all kinds'a things."
Unfortunately Rin has nowhere else to puddle given she has already hit comfortable cushion/Kuni level.

"I was...umm, well. Before all this I hadn't paid much attention to my future duties since I reckoned they were all pretty simple. And I could still go back and do'em I think, if I wanted."
Brow furrowing slightly in thought

"But now I've met folks from all over this empire, good folks too. And I think...maybe I can do more, you know? Part of it makes me feel terrible since I think my own family's work is important. But, well. There can be other work as well. So I was thinking of maybe asking if I could start the training to be a magistrate? Someone who travels 'round and helps people, makes sure the law is being followed. That's a real honourable duty, right?"

The Kuni's eyes go large and she leans back on her heels. What?

"Uh... That's... Yes, um, Rin-san, that's very honourable indeed." The Crab stumbles through words as her mind tries to process at the same time. She hadn't expected this at all, cursed herself for not seeing it coming... A deflated Mitsuko closes her eyes and stops talking, trying to nod supportively but just ending up with her head bowed, chin almost down to her chest.

[Suzume Rin]

The Kuni's eyes go large and she leans back on her heels. What?

"Uh... That's... Yes, um, Rin-san, that's very honourable indeed." The Crab stumbles through words as her mind tries to process at the same time. She hadn't expected this at all, cursed herself for not seeing it coming... A deflated Mitsuko closes her eyes and stops talking, trying to nod supportively but just ending up with her head bowed, chin almost down to her chest.

"Uhhh? Mitsuko-chan? I say something wrong?"
Rin's own eyes widen, full of concern.

"Is it a bid idea you reckon?"

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Uhhh? Mitsuko-chan? I say something wrong?"
Rin's own eyes widen, full of concern.

"Is it a bid idea you reckon?"

"It... It's an excellent idea... Rin-san," the Crab forces herself to say, though her voice sounds hollow. She bites back a sniffle and scrunches her eyes tighter shut, shaking her head. "It, um... You, you would..."

Mitsuko's head seems to alternate between shaking and nodding almost randomly. She finally forces her head to still, bowed deeply and eyes still pressed shut. With focus, she sets her cup as far away behind Rin as she can, shaking the tiniest bit and knowing she can't stand right now.

The Kuni swallows hard, then manages to whisper, "You... You would be great." She sways faintly toward the Sparrow, wanting to curl up in her lap and feel safe while at the same time wanting to flee so that Rin won't have to see the tears that seem increasingly inevitable. Damn... Uncle Daisuke... and his shochu... she stammers internally.

[Suzume Rin]

"It... It's an excellent idea... Rin-san," the Crab forces herself to say, though her voice sounds hollow. She bites back a sniffle and scrunches her eyes tighter shut, shaking her head. "It, um... You, you would..."

Mitsuko's head seems to alternate between shaking and nodding almost randomly. She finally forces her head to still, bowed deeply and eyes still pressed shut. With focus, she sets her cup as far away behind Rin as she can, shaking the tiniest bit and knowing she can't stand right now.

The Kuni swallows hard, then manages to whisper, "You... You would be great." She sways faintly toward the Sparrow, wanting to curl up in her lap and feel safe while at the same time wanting to flee so that Rin won't have to see the tears that seem increasingly inevitable. Damn... Uncle Daisuke... and his shochu... she stammers internally.

“Well I ain’t always the best at reading things. But I’m pretty sure I can tell when something’s wrong. And right now something is real wrong.”

Carefully putting her own cup down so she can reach her only slightly unsteady hand over to Mitsuko’s shoulder and give her a squeeze.

“Can you tell me what it is? You can even say it quiet as you like.”

[Kuni Mitsuko]

“Well I ain’t always the best at reading things. But I’m pretty sure I can tell when something’s wrong. And right now something is real wrong.”

Carefully putting her own cup down so she can reach her only slightly unsteady hand over to Mitsuko’s shoulder and give her a squeeze.

“Can you tell me what it is? You can even say it quiet as you like.”

Mitsuko feels the pull of running away, like she should avoid Rin's touch, but as fingers squeeze her shoulder she can't move other than to bite her lip and keep fighting the sniffles. After three heartbeats that seem like an eternal silence, she finally whispers, "You, um... Traveling." She swallows hard, gives a slight shake of her head but keeps talking. "It... I don't know, um, how... When I would see you." After the last word, she gasps back a sniffle so loudly it's almost a snort. Her thin body shudders with the effort, and she keeps her head down. A sparkle appears at the corner of each eye, and Mitsuko desperately squeezes her eyes tighter in a futile attempt to hold the tears there.

[Suzume Rin]

Mitsuko feels the pull of running away, like she should avoid Rin's touch, but as fingers squeeze her shoulder she can't move other than to bite her lip and keep fighting the sniffles. After three heartbeats that seem like an eternal silence, she finally whispers, "You, um... Traveling." She swallows hard, gives a slight shake of her head but keeps talking. "It... I don't know, um, how... When I would see you." After the last word, she gasps back a sniffle so loudly it's almost a snort. Her thin body shudders with the effort, and she keeps her head down. A sparkle appears at the corner of each eye, and Mitsuko desperately squeezes her eyes tighter in a futile attempt to hold the tears there.

"Gosh! I ain't leaving you. Come now."
Rin shifts backwards and forwards on her cushion until she can wrap her good arm around the Crab and pull her in.

"I know with both of us going on to our duty we won't be able to see eachother all the time. And I reckon we both know what it's like to be away from our people for a bit. It's no fun at all. But it is part of doing our duty. I want you to make it all the way to the top of what you're doing, one day you'll be a big shot general and maybe folks'll ask if I know you when I introduce myself. And I know you want that same sort of thing for me. And that can't happen if one of us has to stay home waiting for the other, at least for a few years."

Gently rubbing Mitsuko's back
"And it's not like we wouldn't see eachother, magistrates travel and I'm pretty sure they'd want me where I know everyone, which is down south. And then there's Winter Court, I know they always put couples together for that. Mainly so they can have kids which uhh, you know, now I've done the reading I don't think it would be quite the same, but they still do it."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Gosh! I ain't leaving you. Come now."
Rin shifts backwards and forwards on her cushion until she can wrap her good arm around the Crab and pull her in.

"I know with both of us going on to our duty we won't be able to see eachother all the time. And I reckon we both know what it's like to be away from our people for a bit. It's no fun at all. But it is part of doing our duty. I want you to make it all the way to the top of what you're doing, one day you'll be a big shot general and maybe folks'll ask if I know you when I introduce myself. And I know you want that same sort of thing for me. And that can't happen if one of us has to stay home waiting for the other, at least for a few years."

Gently rubbing Mitsuko's back
"And it's not like we wouldn't see eachother, magistrates travel and I'm pretty sure they'd want me where I know everyone, which is down south. And then there's Winter Court, I know they always put couples together for that. Mainly so they can have kids which uhh, you know, now I've done the reading I don't think it would be quite the same, but they still do it."

The Crab can't resist being pulled in close, and the press of Rin's arm around her is both comforting and saddening, feeling like it's going to be gone soon.

"It's, um... I just..." Mitsuko mumble-stammers into Rin's shoulder. She tries a deep breath, which somewhat clarifies her speech. "I, um... I reckon... Got m'self carried away..." The faux-Sparrow accent creeps in unintentionally. "Silly, um... The, uh, thoughts I had," she manages to say around a gaspy breath. There's a tired exhale as her head sinks more fully against Rin's shoulder.

[Suzume Rin]

The Crab can't resist being pulled in close, and the press of Rin's arm around her is both comforting and saddening, feeling like it's going to be gone soon.

"It's, um... I just..." Mitsuko mumble-stammers into Rin's shoulder. She tries a deep breath, which somewhat clarifies her speech. "I, um... I reckon... Got m'self carried away..." The faux-Sparrow accent creeps in unintentionally. "Silly, um... The, uh, thoughts I had," she manages to say around a gaspy breath. There's a tired exhale as her head sinks more fully against Rin's shoulder.

"Well I know how we both get carried away now."
Rin continues gently hugging Mitsuko smiling happily to herself.

"And there's lotsa things to think about. But we don't have to rush or worry 'bout it, right? If uh, if you want maybe we can ask our nakodo to look into things, feel them out. It's what they do, right? Bet they'd know better than anyone how something would work if it could work."

Gently rubbing her cheek against Mitsuko's
"You can always share silly thoughts with me if you want, I got enough of my own so they could use the company."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Well I know how we both get carried away now."
Rin continues gently hugging Mitsuko smiling happily to herself.

"And there's lotsa things to think about. But we don't have to rush or worry 'bout it, right? If uh, if you want maybe we can ask our nakodo to look into things, feel them out. It's what they do, right? Bet they'd know better than anyone how something would work if it could work."

Gently rubbing her cheek against Mitsuko's
"You can always share silly thoughts with me if you want, I got enough of my own so they could use the company."

The Crab nods a little as the Sparrow speaks, and then giggles breathlessly at the rubbing cheek. There may be the faintest wetness on her cheeks, but Rin's comforting pulls her back from unleashing real tears.

"It, um..." Mitsuko whispers, both because Rin's ear is close and because she's so nervous to share the thought. "I thought... I might... Like to..." She hesitates, then takes a deep breath before brushing the tip of her nose against the Sparrow's neck gently. In a breathy, almost inaudible whisper, she finishes, "Be... A good Sparrow wife... for you."

[Suzume Rin]

The Crab nods a little as the Sparrow speaks, and then giggles breathlessly at the rubbing cheek. There may be the faintest wetness on her cheeks, but Rin's comforting pulls her back from unleashing real tears.

"It, um..." Mitsuko whispers, both because Rin's ear is close and because she's so nervous to share the thought. "I thought... I might... Like to..." She hesitates, then takes a deep breath before brushing the tip of her nose against the Sparrow's neck gently. In a breathy, almost inaudible whisper, she finishes, "Be... A good Sparrow wife... for you."

Rin inhales sharply at 'wife' her heart starting to thunder rapidly.

"A wife...m-my wife."
Oh gosh, golly golly gosh, golly jeez gosh.

"A good Sparrow wife? Mitsuko-chan...you'd."
Dropping her voice, desperately glad no-one was looking on.
"You'd be a wonderful Mitsuko Wife. Sparrow, crab or any other clan, you'd be my partner."
Abashed
"And I know being a Crab ain't easy and I'd have a lot to learn, but I'd make the best showing I could of being a good Crab wife too if it goes the other way."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

Rin inhales sharply at 'wife' her heart starting to thunder rapidly.

"A wife...m-my wife."
Oh gosh, golly golly gosh, golly jeez gosh.

"A good Sparrow wife? Mitsuko-chan...you'd."
Dropping her voice, desperately glad no-one was looking on.
"You'd be a wonderful Mitsuko Wife. Sparrow, crab or any other clan, you'd be my partner."
Abashed
"And I know being a Crab ain't easy and I'd have a lot to learn, but I'd make the best showing I could of being a good Crab wife too if it goes the other way."

"I know you would," Mitsuko whispers back, a happy smile on her face that Rin can't see right under her chin. The Crab girl leans in a little to gently kiss the side of Rin's neck, then eases back again slightly.

"You're so good," she says, still quiet, but sounding a little tentative. "That's... I wouldn't... leave home, for anyone else..." Mitsuko draws back a little and lifts her head from the Sparrow's shoulder so their eyes can meet. The Kuni facepaint can't do anything to obscure the love in Mitsuko's eyes.

"I um... I feel... Like... You know?" The words are nervous, really aren't clear at all, but the intensity in the Kuni girl's eyes makes it hard not to understand what she means to say.

[Suzume Rin]

"I know you would," Mitsuko whispers back, a happy smile on her face that Rin can't see right under her chin. The Crab girl leans in a little to gently kiss the side of Rin's neck, then eases back again slightly.

"You're so good," she says, still quiet, but sounding a little tentative. "That's... I wouldn't... leave home, for anyone else..." Mitsuko draws back a little and lifts her head from the Sparrow's shoulder so their eyes can meet. The Kuni facepaint can't do anything to obscure the love in Mitsuko's eyes.

"I um... I feel... Like... You know?" The words are nervous, really aren't clear at all, but the intensity in the Kuni girl's eyes makes it hard not to understand what she means to say.

Rin spends a few seconds meeting Mitsuko's gaze, her eyes smiling.
"I know, I love you too."
And she kisses Mitsuko firmly, this time managing to miss any ears.

[Kuni Mitsuko]

Rin spends a few seconds meeting Mitsuko's gaze, her eyes smiling.
"I know, I love you too."
And she kisses Mitsuko firmly, this time managing to miss any ears.

There's a moment of surprise - and joy - as the Crab realizes a kids is coming, but she's still not prepared for it. She heard the l word, the one she was thinking but knew she couldn't say, and then Rin...

Mitsuko melts unashamedly into that kiss, relaxing against Rin in the safest, happiest place she can imagine.

/fade to tired, happy snuggles.